Dynamic three-dimensional surface sketching

Abstract

A method and system for three-dimensional (3D) surface sketching are provided. A 3D scanner scans an outer surface of a physical object and outputs data representative of the outer surface. A processor generates, based on the received data, a 3D model of the object and outputs a 3D rendering of the object. A display displays the 3D rendering of the object. An input device physically traces over a portion of the outer surface of the object and a tracking device tracks a positioning of the input device as the input device physically traces over the portion of the outer surface of the object. The processor receives data representative of at least one spatial position of the input device, augments the 3D rendering of the object based at least in part on the data and outputs the augmented 3D rendering to the display.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system, comprising:
 a three-dimensional (3D) scanner configured to scan an outer surface of a physical object, and output data representative of the outer surface of the object;   a processor configured to receive the data representative of the outer surface of the object, and generate, based on the received data, a 3D model of the object, and output a 3D rendering of the object based on the generated 3D model;   a display configured to receive the 3D rendering of the object, and display the 3D rendering of the object;   an input device operable to physically trace over at least one portion of the outer surface of the object; and   a tracking device configured to track a positioning of the input device as the input device physically traces over the at least one portion of the outer surface of the object, and output data representative of at least one spatial position of the input device as the input device traces over the object, wherein:
 the processor is configured to receive the data representative of the at least one spatial position of the input device, augment the 3D rendering of the object based at least in part on the data representative of the at least one spatial position of the input device, and in response to augmenting the 3D rendering of the object, output the augmented 3D rendering of the object to the display, and 
 the display is configured to display the augmented 3D rendering of the object. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to augment the 3D rendering of the object by at least:
 identifying, based on the data representative of the at least one spatial position of the input device, one or more curves having one or more respective positions in space relative to the outer surface of the object; and   superposing the one or more curves on the 3D rendering of the object at one or more rendering positions corresponding to the one or more positions in space relative to the outer surface of the object, respectively.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the input device is pressure sensitive and configured to sense a pressure applied to the input device as the input device physically traces over the at least one portion of the outer surface of the object, and output data representative of the pressure, and
 wherein the processor is configured to:
 determine respective one or more widths of the one or more curves based at least in part on the pressure applied to the input device as the input device physically traces over the at least one portion of the outer surface of the object to form the one or more curves; and 
 superpose, on the 3D rendering of the object, the one or more curves having the respective one or more widths. 
   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the input device includes a pressure-sensitive tip operable to sense the pressure applied to the input device as the input device physically traces over the at least one portion of the outer surface of the object. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the input device includes a first control input operative to receive one or more respective width indications of the one or more curves, and wherein the input device is configured to output data representative of one or more respective width indications to the processor, and the processor is configured to:
 receive the data representative of one or more respective width indications;   determine respective one or more widths of the one or more curves based the data representative of one or more respective width indications; and   superpose, on the 3D rendering of the object, the one or more curves having the respective one or more widths.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the display is a head-mounted display configured to display the 3D rendering of the object superposed on the physical object that otherwise is visually visible through the head-mounted display. 
     
     
         7 . A system, comprising:
 a three-dimensional (3D) scanner configured to scan an outer surface of a physical object, and output data representative of the outer surface of the object;   a processor configured to receive the data representative of the outer surface of the object, generate, based on the received data, a 3D model of the object, and output a 3D rendering of the object based on the generated 3D model;   a display configured to receive the 3D rendering of the object, and display the 3D rendering of the object;   an input device operable to physically trace over at least one portion of the outer surface of the object; and   a tracking device configured to track a positioning of the input device as the input device traces over the at least one portion of the outer surface of the object, and output data representative of at least one position of the input device in 3D space as the input device traces over the outer surface of the object, wherein:
 the processor is configured to receive the data representative of the at least one position of the input device, modify the 3D model of the object based at least in part on the data representative of the at least one position of the input device, generate an updated 3D rendering of the object based on the modified 3D model, and in response to generating the updated 3D rendering of the object, output the updated 3D rendering of the object to the display, and 
 the display is configured to display the updated 3D rendering of the object. 
   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the processor is configured to generate the 3D model of the object by generating a polygon mesh that includes a plurality of vertices and a plurality of edges. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the processor is configured to modify the 3D model of the object by at least:
 changing a position of a vertex of the plurality of vertices or an edge of the plurality of edges to correspond to the at least one position of the input device in 3D space.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the processor is configured to modify the 3D model of the object by at least:
 adding, to the plurality of vertices, a first vertex having a position in space that corresponds to the at least one position of the input device in 3D space.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the processor is configured to modify the 3D model of the object by at least:
 removing, from the plurality of vertices, a second vertex having a position that is closest in 3D space to the position of the first vertex.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the display is a head-mounted display configured to display the 3D rendering of the object superposed on the physical object that otherwise is visually visible through the head-mounted display, and further configured to display the updated 3D rendering of the object superposed on the physical object that otherwise is visually visible through the head-mounted display. 
     
     
         13 . A system, comprising:
 a three-dimensional (3D) scanner configured to scan an outer surface of a physical object, and output data representative of the outer surface of the object;   a processor configured to receive the data representative of the outer surface of the object, and generate, based on the received data, a 3D model of the object, and output a 3D rendering of the object based on the generated 3D model;   a display configured to receive the 3D rendering of the object, and display the 3D rendering of the object;   an input device operable to physically trace over at least one portion of the outer surface of the object; and   a tracking device configured to track a positioning of the input device as the input device traces over the at least one portion of the outer surface of the object, and output data representative of at least two positions of the input device as the input device traces over the object, wherein:
 the processor is configured to receive the data representative of the at least two positions, determine a distance between the at least two positions, and output data representative of the distance. 
   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the processor is configured to identify a curve based on data representative of positions of the input device between the at least two positions, and determine the distance between the at least two positions along the identified curve. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the display is configured to:
 receive the data representative of the distance, and   display the distance on the display.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the input device includes a control input operative to receive a selection of a first mode of operation of a plurality of modes of operation of the input device and output data indicative of the first mode of operation. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the processor is configured to:
 receive the data indicative of the first mode of operation, and   in response to receiving the data indicative of the first mode of operation, determine the distance between the at least two positions, and output the data representative of the distance.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the input device receives, via the control input, a selection of a second mode of operation of the plurality of modes of operation of the input device and output data indicative of the second mode of operation. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the processor is configured to:
 receive the data indicative of the second mode of operation, and   in response to receiving the data indicative of the second mode of operation, augment the 3D rendering of the object based on positioning information received from the tracking device tracking the input device as the input device traces over at least one portion of the outer surface of the object.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the processor is configured to:
 receive the data indicative of the second mode of operation, and   in response to receiving the data indicative of the second mode of operation, modify the 3D model of the object based on positioning information received from the tracking device tracking the input device as the input device traces over at least one portion of the outer surface of the object, and generate an updated 3D rendering of the object based on the modified 3D model.